34:1B-99 Export Finance Company Advisory Council.

7. a. There is established an Export Finance Company Advisory Council in, but not of, the Department of Commerce and Economic Development. The council shall be made up of eleven members: one shall be the Commissioner of Commerce and Economic Development, or the commissioner's designee; one shall be the Chairman of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, or the chairman's designee; three public members shall be appointed by the Governor; three public members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate; and three public members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall be designated by the Speaker as chair of the council. The appointment of the members shall take place within 60 days of the effective date of this act. The appointee of the Speaker of the General Assembly designated as chair of the council shall convene the council as soon as is practicable following the appointment of at least six public members to the council.

b. The members of the council shall serve without compensation.

c. The council is authorized, empowered and directed to:

(1) Develop a form of organization and a plan of operation for the export financing company consistent with the purposes of this act. In so doing the council shall consider, but not be limited to, the form of organization, plan of operation and experiences of local and regional business partnerships organized jointly by the public and private sectors in the State for business development purposes.

(2) Seek out and gain commitments from persons, natural and otherwise, to be initial investors in, incorporators of or founding members of the export financing company.

(3) Cooperate and coordinate its efforts at gaining public and private sources of equity capital for the establishment of the company with the Department of Commerce and Economic Development.

(4) Investigate the feasibility of gaining additional public sources of equity capital for the establishment of the company from sources which may include, but need not be limited to, other departments and agencies of this State and in other states which are engaged in economic development and which seek to cooperate with the council to assist it in the accomplishment of its mission.

(5) Continue to interact with and to monitor the export finance company, as well as provide advisory input, during and subsequent to its creation and expansion.

d. Within one year of the effective date of this act, the council shall provide the Governor and the Legislature with information concerning the results of its efforts under subsection c. of this section, the status of the export financing company and the implementation of the goals of this act.

e. Nothing in this act shall prohibit public members of the council from being among those who serve on the export finance company board of directors or board of trustees, as appropriate to its organizational charter or operating agreement.

L.1995,c.209,s.7; amended 1999, c.38, s.5.